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No. 1 Huskies Earn Rain-Shortened 8-2 Victory

SEATTLE - The No. 1 Washington softball team improved to 17-0 Sunday with a rain-shortened 8-2 victory over Portland State on the final day of the Husky Softball Classic. The game was called after five innings due to rain.

The Huskies pounded out 10 hits and earned seven walks in just five innings to back Danielle Lawrie, who improved to 12-0 by allowing just one hit and two unearned runs to extend her consecutive scoreless innings streak to 66.1 innings.

Leadoff hitter Ashley Charters set the table all game for the Huskies, going 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored and three stolen bases. Alicia Blake went 1-for-3 with a run and three RBI while Ashlyn Watson and Morgan Stuart each had two hits and an RBI. Freshman Felecia Harris blasted her second home run in as many days and her third of the season.

The Huskies scored a run in the third inning on an RBI single by Watson to take the lead, but the Vikings came back to score two in the bottom of the inning, both of which were unearned. With one out, Lawrie struck out Becca Diede but she reached first on a passed ball. After an error put runners on first and second, Jackie Heide ripped a two-run triple to give the Vikings the lead.

But the lead didn't last long as Harris drilled a ball over the left field fence on the first pitch of the fourth inning to tie up the game. UW went on to score four more runs in the inning, sending 10 batters to the plate. Freshman Kimi Pohlman followed Harris with a single and stole second and Charters walked, setting the speedy pair up for a double steal. Blake then singled up the middle to score both to give UW the lead.

Watson followed with a single and Stuart walked to load the bases and Lawrie and Harris both drew bases-loaded walks to increase the lead.

The Huskies added another two runs in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Blake to score Charters and an RBI single by Stuart to score Marnie Koziol, who followed Charters' single with a hit of her own.

'It was good to come out and score a lot of runs and come back after getting down today so I'm happy with that part,' Washington head coach Heather Tarr said. 'Portland State swings the bats, their best hitter had a big hit there. When you're throwing strikes and not walking people that happens.'

Washington was scheduled to play a second game against Boise State but it was cancelled due to rain.

In the early game, Seattle defeated Boise State, 14-1.

The Huskies hit the road again next week, heading to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to play in the Easton SEC/Pac-10/Big 12 Challenge. UW will play two games against No. 1/3 Alabama and No. 14/15 Georgia as well as one game against No. 24 Baylor.

NotesCharters' three stolen bases give her 110 in her career, three shy of tying UW's all time record.